Mowing or grain-cutting machine.



No. 662,084. Patented-Nov. 20, I900. J. MGGOUGH.

MOWING 0R GRAIN CUTTING MACHINE.

(Applicaaion filedJan. 27, 1900.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

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No. 662,084. Patented Nov. 20, I900. J. MGGOUGH.

MOWING 0R GRAIN CUTTING MACHINE.

(Application filed JaiL 27, 1900.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

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UNiTsn VSQTATES ATENT FFICE.

JonN MOGOUGH, or PIERRE, scorn DAKOTA.

Mowmc OR GRAIN-CUTTING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 662,084, dated November 20, 1900.

Application filed January 27, 1900. Serial No. 2,993. (No model- To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN McGoUcH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pierre, in the county of Hughes and State of South Dakota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mowing or Grain-Cutting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in the cutting mechanism of mowing-machines or grain reapers in which pointed sickleblades move directly forward against the standing grass or grain and work in conjunction with guards attached to a finger-bar; and the objects of my improvement are, first, to provide cutting mechanism adapted to cutting grass, grain, &c., in the field that will require little power to operate and will not clog in thick grass,and,second,'toafford facilities for the proper adjustment of the sickle. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure 1 is a top plan view of part of a machine, showing how the sickle may be operated without the use of bevel-gear; Fig. 2, a vertical section of part of the machine on the line 1 2, Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a top plan view of part of a guard as it appears removed from the machine. Fig. 4, a vertical section of a guard on line 3 4, Fig. 3.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The axle A and finger-bar 0, connected by the sides q q and framework 1" r o o, constitute the framework of the machine. The axle A is supported by drive-wheels D D.

H is a shaft supported by Q] '0 and is turned by means of a pinion on each end fittinginto teeth on an inner rim of the drive-wheels D D.

s s are sprocket-wheels attached to the shaft H.

t i are sprocket -wheels attached to the cranks e e, which are supported by q 7 q 1".

As the machine is propelled forward by the ordinary means the drive-wheels D D turn the sprocket-wheels s s and If t by means of a link belt passing over and around them.

P P are pitman-rods attached to the cranks e e at one end and with I I at the other.

L L are lugs at or near the ends of the sickle-barf and attached to it. The lugs L L move in slots Z l in the shoes 70 70 when moved by the pitman-rods P P, thus moving the sickle forward and backward. The sickle com prises a sickle-bar, with sections or blades 1) I) attached in the ordinary way.

I I are screw-bolts passing through the lugs L L, and to these screw-bolts the pitman-rods P P may be connected by means of a flexible joint. By turning the screw-bolts I I the position of the sickle may be regulated, so that when the sickle-blades become shorter by wear they may be moved closer to the guard by thus lengthening the reach of the pitmana'ods.

The manner of cutting is thus: As the ma chine is drawn forward the pointed guards G G enter the standing grass or grain, and it slides through a narrow opening between the guards in the direction of the arrow and fills the space 0, which gradually becomes wider toword the cutter-bar O Then the sickle, with blades which converge to a point forward, about angling, corresponding to the sides of the space 0 from the point at toward the cutter-bar and with their converging edges sharp, move forward, and their points divide the standing grass, 850., in the space 0, leaving about half on each side and presses it against the guards. Then as the sharp lower edges of the sickle-blades enter the grooves to win the sides of the guards they move close to a ledger-plate w, and thus cutting the grass, 850., they draw back, allowing the space 0 to fill again.

To more fully describe a guard: From the forward point, which is sharp to the points 11 n, a little rearward of the center, the guard gradually becomes wider and converges on its upper surface and at the ledger-plate a: from n n to Y. The ledger-plate 0; extends from side to side of the guard below grooves 10 w along its sides, and its outer sides have cutting edges from n n to Y, while its upper surface is on a level with that of the fingerbar 0, and it is held in position by having its forward end convexed to fit into a concave space in the interior of the guard and having a screw T through it from the top of the guard a little forward of its center. At the point Y the guard is wider on its under side than at the ledger-plate w immediately above. Such width it retains on its under side diledger-plate as when the guard is in position. I

in position, the upper surface of which is on a level with that of the finger-bar C and In the side next the rearof the cross-arm R is a groove z, into which a rectangular projection a of the lower front side of the fingerbar 0 enters. By this means part of the strain of keeping the guard in position is removed from the bolt (1, which attaches the guard G to the fingerbar 0 by passing through the part of the guard which extends back from the cross-arm R and under the finger-bar as in ordinary mowers.

U is a shield or shoe passing under the finger-bar C from the guards back and under the sickle-bar.

Having described my invention, I do not claim the frame or general plan of a machine which [described as an invention. I only wished to show by it the manner of operating the mechanism used in cutting; but

What I do claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is--- 1. The combinatiomin a mowing or graincutting machine, of a sickle having blades with sharp forwardly-conveying edges, and means for imparting a forward-and-backward motion to the sickle which cuts grass, grain, &c., on a forward stroke, in combination with guards attached to a finger-bar which have grooves in their sides to receive the sharp edges of the sickle-blades, substantially as described.

2. The combination,- in a mowing or graincutting machine, of guards attached to a finger-bar having their forward ends pointed and gradually growing wider to points 'n n a littlerearward of the center, and from the points n n converging toward Y and having grooves w w in their sides ledge-'-plates x and cross-arms R in combination with the sickle having blades with the forwardly-converging edges substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, in a mowing or graincutting machine with the pointed guards and the sickle with blades having forwardly-converging edges said sickle having a forwardandi-hackward motion as described, of lugs attached to the sickle having screw-bolts passing therethrough to adjust the position of the sickle with respect to the guards, and with pitman'rods P, 1?, connected with screw bolts by means of flexible joints, and through which the forward-and-backward motion is imparted to the sickle all substantially asset fOI'illl.

JOHN MGGOUGH. Witnesses:

JOHN E. Hncnns, D. W.. MARCH. 

